Meet Vince Gonzales | Designer/Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vince Gonzales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vince, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to translate my love of shooting photographs and creating retro graphics into a product line that I thought my network would respond to.  Initially printing on tee shirts was the perfect way to display my work and share with my loyal tribe.  I still get a thrill out of printing up a new design and giving away surprise gifts to friends or family.  Later I got excited about creating something more exclusive and stand out.  Discovering vintage military field jackets was that light bulb moment for me.  These high-quality eye-catching garments became my new favorite canvases to work on.  Working with a print studio helped me create one-of-a-kind items that feature custom printing and embroidery.  Each garment is even individually numbered to add to the story and uniqueness.  I’m currently designing on vintage jackets, bags and belts.  It’s been fun developing something I did not see in the market and wanted to wear myself.  It also makes me feel good to bring new value to repurposed apparel in an industry that creates so much waste.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a photographer and designer, the exciting part of the process for me is concept to finished product.  But after that, there is much work to do if I want to get my work seen.  Images have to be created for the website as well as photography and video for my social channels.  In-person events and mixers help get eyes on the product and support brand word of mouth.  As a way to keep myself current, I’ve begun to explore new markets such as the NFT space to see if the growing crypto art scene is a way for me to reach a wider audience.  Keeping busy on side projects helps to keep my creative juices flowing.  In my latest photo series, The Bubble Room, I try to capture the child like wonder of all ages using floating soap bubbles to create whimsical portraits of family and pets.  This project fits perfectly with my desire to create something new from the familiar.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start with food.  I live in Los Feliz and frequent the Silverlake area. Fresh fish tacos at Playita Mariscos for lunch, get our fancy on at Taix for a little French cuisine for dinner and wrap the evening out at Edendale for cocktails.  Downtown LA has a great Museum and Art scene and the seemingly endless trails in Griffith Park is a perfect way to escape city life.   Who wants to join me?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been blessed with many supporters along the way. My biggest fan has always been my wife, Donna Grillo.  I can always trust her to be objective and share the same excitement about everything I create.  I’m also very grateful to Shoutout LA for telling my story.

Website: https://vinpix.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinpixclothing/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vinpix

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vinpix-Clothing

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaxodqD1BXM80MpcoLi3i3Q

Other: Vince Gonzales Photo, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinpixphoto/ The Creative Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-creative-podcast/id1558535094

Image Credits
Vince Gonzales